“You look like a manican….with a mountain nose!” 02. 22.2011

Things around UDH have been kind of crazy lately. Literally, crazy. Everything just feels kind of weird. For example, Bekah and I have been going by our watches the entire time we have been here, and they have been exactly right on time. Today, however, we arrived home from the Internet cafe at 12:30, which is when lunch usually is, and they had already eaten and were headed to school. They told us that it was after one already. Um..no it isn’t! haha. It seems like they are all going to bed much earlier than they were in the beginning. Things just feel sort of…weird! Filipinos are never very timely anyway.

On a funny note…..There are only two mirrors in this building. One in the bathroom, which is usually being used by 15 boys, and one in the hallway. So yesterday I was getting ready to go to Marble, and went to the hallway mirror to put make- up on. While I was standing there, Momma Gwapa * came by and said, “Oh my gosh…you look like a manican! …with a mountain nose!” haha. Wow! What a statement! I had no words for that! Momma Gwapa is Baby Bob’s care taker. Her room and my room are connected, so we see each other quite a bit.



Mama Gwapa



*Gwapa means beautiful in Ilonggo. Anytime Mama Gwapa sees me around she will say, "Oh my gosh...Emily Gwapa!" OR she will have Bobby call me "Ate Gwampa," meaning "Beautiful sister." Becuaee this has sort of become her "thing," Bekah and I decided we should begin calling her Mama Gwama. Seemed fitting.



Jiji on the very crowded jeepney





Yesterday, Bekah, Jiji, and I went to Marble to do a little shopping! We are having American Day this upcoming Saturday, the 26^th, so we had to get some groceries! It was such a fun day! Bekah and I had so much fun looking for food that we have now been craving for weeks! We bought so much food! I hope the children are really hungry on Saturday! We went to Greenwich* for pizza and lasagna at lunch! It was incredible! Although I don't have pizza all that much,  I have definitely missed it! We also found the imported chocolate! They had Reese’s and Hershey’s! I think we both died and went to Heaven. You never realize how much you take for granted life's simple pleasures until you are forced to do without.  Did I mention we paid six bucks for each candy bar?! Definitely a luxury over here.  The buy of the day was Mountain Dew! I might slightly be addicted to it, so it's been kind of awful to do without. Needless to say,  It was such a fun, much needed day!

Of course we were stared at all day! Jiji thought it was really funny, especially at lunch! We sat at a table that was right in front of the cash register, and counter where all of the workers were. They just kept staring at us. Jiji had to get up and go ask them for a straw for all of us, and she came back laughing!! She said, “They are staring at you because of your eyes! They tell me they can’t stop looking at them!” haha. At this point, I have been to the Philippines enough times, and stayed in their country long enogh that I feel like I just belong here, and shouldn't stick out at all. I guess these blue eyes will never totally blend in.

Here is a few pictures of the greatness we bought yesterday:

*Greenwich is kind of like Pizza Hut in America.



the bus headed to marble (aka the "big city")



small amount of all the goodness we purchased

a large part of the juice will be boarding the plane back to the usa with me :)

mountain dew..woo hoo!

the meat secion of the grocery=gross
experiencing this a few hundred times has taught me how to totally shut my nose off from smelling.
i think it might be a talent? ha!

hamburgers
definitely not the usa kind..

Today, we went to the Internet Cafe, and I got to Skype with my family! It was really great to see them! Kind of funny to think that today might be the last time they see me through a computer screen before they see me in person! Less than a week now until I am home! That’s such a strange thought to me! I can’t wait to see them though!

This afternoon we have an activity planned! We have white t-shirts and paint! We are all planning to put our hand prints on each other’s shirts and sign them. It will be fun! I just hope they turn out cute J I’ll post pictures later!

T-Shirts & Bonfire

23 February 2011

It’s 10:15 p.m. here on Saturday. Today has been such a crazy day! (I feel like I say that a lot when describing UDH..ha) We walked the elementary to school, washed lots and lots of clothes, had an Ilonggo lesson, organized things for the evening activities, took a nap, had activity, and finished up the night with a bonfire for Sam’s birthday!

Today’s activity was painting t-shirts. The goal was for everyone to go around and put their handprint and name on each person’s t-shirt. Surprisingly, the elementary did pretty well. However, the highschoolers were very interesting. Their shirts look very, very nice! The funny thing about them is they are such perfectionist! They made sure each handprint was perfect, and some wouldn’t even let everyone put their handprint on it because it was becoming too crowded! They looked really great though. Gemboy told us “It was a waste!” Maybe because we were using so much paint, but he seemed to really be enjoying it, and got super excited whenever his handprint was “Perfect!” Jestoni told us they all really enjoyed doing that, because they had never had the opportunity to do anything like that before! I just hope they don’t try and scrub them like they do all of their other clothes, or there might not be any paint left on them! Bekah and I think that maybe we have everyone’s handprint and names on our shirts, but we aren’t quit sure! They are super cute though.

I am certain we will cherish them for a very long time.



Janet




Jestoni making sure his is absolutely perfect




WOW





me, Bob, Bekah




Judy Ann, Sam, Jessa



WOW



Melody, Alvin, Me, Jestoni




UDH



Today was Sam’s birthday. They had a party earlier in the day for him with the younger kids like Angel, KB, JP, Don Don, and Angeline. Then, tonight after dinner we had a little bonfire for him. It was much more organized tonight, and lots of fun! We had s’mores again, of course! Sam loves them, but who doesn’t?! We sang a couple of songs around the fire. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I know I did!

most important part of a bonfire

I am trying to forget that I only have a couple of days left here; however, it seems like everything I do I put a number on it. Like every time I walk the kids to school I think, only 3 more times. Just things like that. It’s going to be a very sad day.

Please pray for Nanay. She hasn’t been feeling well for the past couple of days. She has been having stomach issues. She left tonight, and went to the hospital. Pray for her healing!
　
　
P.S.

The flying beatles constantly flying into my walls and net are driving me crazyyy! I’m going to sleep!!

Lake Sebu 02.19.2011

I recently told you all we had a great surprise coming up this weekend. Well, today was the day! Bekah and I treated the third year high schoolers, and two house mothers, Momma Lyn and Ate Red, to Lake Sebu! We all did a pretty great job at keeping the whole thing a secret. Bekah and I have been planning for weeks, and even though we have been about to bust to tell them, we have kept our lips sealed! Nanay did a great job of helping us out! After breakfast this morning, she announced all of the children’s assignments just like she always does on Saturday. However, this morning she split them up into grades, and told the third year they had a special project they were going to do, and they would need to be ready in just a few minutes. They were all wandering around here trying to figure out what in the world they were going to do today. They finally put it all together after we had loaded up into the van, and were on our way!

It wasn’t a very long drive, maybe thirty minutes. After arriving there, we immediately found the waterfalls! There are a total of seven falls there (hence the name "the seven falls"), and they were gorgeous!!! Huge waterfalls! We walked around a while, and took pictures of just about everything!
After much sight seeing at the falls, we decided to take a break and go zip lining. The children had never done this before, and Bekah and I had never been on one quite like this.

I rode with Glend across the first time we went. It was wild to say the least! I wish we knew how far above the ground we were, but the weathered wooden sign didn't say.



The only "bad" thing about this adventure was the landing.  There was little Filipino at the very end of the rope (just before the large metal pole) holding the rope tight so the little rubber stopper (for lack of a better term), would bring us to a halt. Each time we went I was sure we were bound for the large pole holding the fence up.



We switched partners going back across. Bekah and I decided to go together, and although there was much talk that the American women would break the zip line, we survived!

three amigos

beautiful flower Jestoni picked for me

 

we had to walk 774 (yes, we counted) to get to the top in order to do the zip line again.
was it worth it, you ask. ABSOLUTELY.
This picture is made at the top after everyone was practically dead from the steep journey up.




she might be a little tired



no one was talking...or moving

We found the souvenir shop, and bought some t-shirts for a "remembrance". 



I was with Jestoni this time! We decided we would try and video our experience. I will try and post that on here later so you can kind of see how it was. There was a rainbow over one of the falls! It was gorgeous! This time, once we got to the other side, the guy stopping us asked me if I had my camera. I told him yes, and it just kind of grabbed it from me and said “Okay! I will take your picture!” So….he pushed us back out over the valley, and told us to smile! Haha. Not exactly how they do it in Dollywood, but the pictures turned out pretty good! I just wasn’t sure how we were going to get back to the ground, but surprisingly we just kind of slowly went back.



 

I rode with Jojet on the way back. He just did his little giggle the whole way back!

 

 

After all of the excitement, we were all ready for lunch! We went to a floating restaurant on the lake. It was nice! Momma Lyn and Ate Red ordered for us! We had a table full of tilapia, fried chicken, and of course rice. 22 cups to be exact. The children really enjoyed it; however, I have to tell you…I think they chicken probably died of natural causes rather than for the intention of eating, because it was literally skin and bones! It was nice though.

 

They had a little boat ride thing there that took you on a tour of the lake, so we did that! It felt really nice out there! We concluded the day with a chocolate stop on the way home! It was probably the most enjoyable day I have had since I have been here! Which is saying a lot, because everyday has been awesome!!! I am so happy we were able to take the kids, and the big kids…hahaha…and let them enjoy that. They just kept telling us how thankful they were that we had done that for them. We all had so much fun!!!

more ziplineing pictures...

 

 

I found this awesome hat at the sari sari on a trail (totally random) at Lake Sebu.
I know you're jealous.

we became best friends

Jojet & me

BE THANKFUL 02.18.2011

18 Feb. 2011

 -BE THANKFUL-

After cleaning my room today, I noticed something. Although my room is organized and clean, I have things lined up on almost all four walls. It’s not like I brought just tons and tons of stuff, and I havn’t had any problem with having enough room; however, what I noticed today is that even though I only have a very small fraction of what I have at home, I have sooo much more here than the children have, and this is their home!!

There are three large rooms in the building with at least six boys in each room. Each of the children have their own very small cubby hole. In those cubby holes they have their clothes, school work, and maybe a couple of personal items. And me….I have two huge suitcases full of clothes, plus more personal items than could fit in even one of their cubby holes. The point isn’t that I have just tons of things with me, because I don’t. The point is..the little bit of what I have with me is so so much more than any one of these kids own.

Don’t forget to be thankful for what you have. You may not have every single thing you want. I don’t. But….I am soo blessed beyond measure. Each day these children sing praises to God for what they have. They walk around with a joyful heart. They stand up before each other and God, and always always have so much thanksgiving to give. No matter how bad life may get, you will always always have something to be thankful for.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

 What are you thankful for??

* I am especially thankful for my family

I have listened to Nanay night after night, tell the stories of some of the orphans. Their stories that led to them coming here. Often, my mind is filled with questions.

 Why did God give me a family?

 How could I be so blessed with such a loving family, yet these precious children weren’t wanted?

Every time I look at one of the kids I just think how in the world could someone have given him/her away. It’s the most absolute absurd thought to me. I didn’t do anything to deserve a family. Just like these kids didn’t do anything deserve a family; however, the difference is I was born into a family who wanted me. Who love me. They weren’t. What I have realized is, none of us are deserving of anything. Not even a family. But, because God loves you & me so much He wants us to be a part of a family even greater than any of our earthly familes. He give His only son so that we can be adopted into His family. (Eph. 3-7) Don’t miss out on your opportunity!!

Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
John 3:3
John 14:6
Romans 10: 9-11
2 Corinthians 5:15
Revelation 3:20

Amazing Grace Baptist Church

I have briefly mentioned Amazing Grace Baptist Church in previous blogs, but I feel like it deserves it’s own post! AGBC is where all of the children and staff here at UDH attend church. Jiji’s husband, Pastor Roy, is the pastor there. Each time I have come to church here in the Philippines, it has been an experience. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have worshiped with the this church for this past month.  It has definitely made for some good times, and some funny stories.

First, I would like to point out a few facts. There is no one at church until our jeepney pulls up! We make up the majority of the church. Secondly, it never starts on time! Thirdly, we havn’t had a service yet under four hours!

It’s always interesting to see just what is going to happen! Sometimes, the rooster attends, and even makes comments about the sermon! Haha!  It's amazing that this thing can constantly crow, and hardly anyone acknowledges it becasue it's such a normal thing. Well, other than the few orphans who choose to throw rocks at it during the sermon :/

It’s very different from my church back home in America. Well, I feel safe in saying it’s very different than any churches back in America. There’s a ton of singing! It’s such a blessing to hear them singing praises to the Lord, and just have the opportunity to worship Him together! I am always so amazed that they never seem to get tired. They usually go about four hours, and it’s continuously up and down. Bekah always jokes, “We are about to convert Catholic.” They have such beautiful voices though, and I never get tired of listening.  It’s also opened my eyes to a lot of things that we sometimes complain about in the States. I know sometimes Bro. Ray will be a little long winded, and people begin to become restless. I promise it’s not bad at all!

Here, we sit on hard, wood benches. No walls. No air conditioner. Dirt floors. And we go for a whole lot longer than most of our services at home! But still, it’s wonderful. Every Sunday I think about how blessed these children really are. Their family puts in a lot of effort every Sunday to get 42 children ready and transported to church. It’s really incredible, and such a blessing.

flat tire on the way to church

KB & Carlos

Angel, Bekah, Me, Jestoni, & Alvin
Crowded in headed to AGBC

Melody, Sam, Angel

Here at UDH, we are mostly served juice at our meals. I absolutely love it! Each glass has been absolutely delicious. So delicious, Bekah and I usually drink the whole pitcher. Well, about two Sunday’s ago I went to breakfast, and thought nothing about drinking that whole thing of orange juice! However, about an hour into the service I needed the CR badly! I looked around and saw nothing other than houses. No sign at all of a CR anywhere. Which was what I expected. I have stopped at enough random people’s houses during my trips to the Philippines that this was really no big deal at all. I saw Rosella standing over to the side so I figured I would get her to point me in the right direction. And she did! Turns out there is a CR there. It’s a bowl about half a foot from the dirt floor. The sides were bits and pieces of bamboo (mostly broken bamboo), and the door was so shabby it had to held up. With all of the help I could get to try and do this as decent as possible, I'm pretty sure half of the church still got a decent view of the American using the "potty."  KB just thought it was absolutely hilarious! I guess I learned my lesson on that; However, I have decided that I get a little thirsty during worship so instead of drinking so much at breakfast, I’m just bringing my juice with me!

　

Surprise Babies & Brown Outs 02.16.2011

Today I am extremely exhausted, and I am not quiet sure why. Well, other than the fact that I didn’t get my nap today! Haha. Instead Bekah and I went over to Nanay’s house and talked a while. We talked about past orphans, and the stories of the orphans living here now. She literally had us in tears. It’s just so incredible to hear their stories of what they came from, and then to now see the joy overflowing from their hearts.

She said that the thing they always say now is that if they ever see their families again they want to tell them about Jesus Christ! That’s so amazing to me. I want to share with you some of their stories, but not today! I am writing them down as I hear them, and hope to share them another time.

I know some of you are aware that we are supposed to be getting a new little baby here at Uncle Dick’s Home, but you weren’t aware of when. That’s because neither were we! Haha. Well…he got here yesterday! He is only two months old, and is adorable! Bekah and I got to hold him a few minutes ago for the very first time. I was the very first American told hold him, and it kinda made my heart smile. ha. We are sooo excited to get to be here for his arrival! His name is Juter!  We don’t know his entire story yet, but hopefully soon! I will be sharing it with you J
We have had a brown out all day! It happened first thing this morning, and we just got power back about 30 minutes ago! Bekah and I have been wondering all day why in the world they are called “brown outs,” because whenever we have one it is certainly not brown. It’s black! Wouldn’t it make a whole lot more since to say “Black out?!” I think so. Because we had no electricity today, the water pump couldn’t work. So, not only have we been powerless, but also we have been waterless. Kinda stinks (literally) being in a third world country with lots of dirt and bugs, and no water to get clean. But we made it J

We have a pretty big surprise for the third year high school students this Saturday! Bekah and I are very very excited, and cannot wait for it to hurry up and get here! I expect this weekend to be a very fun

Soap Talk 02.15.2011

Hi!
At this very moment I am sitting on my mosquito net (literally on top of it, not inside), waiting for water! I need to shower so badly (i kinda made that sound like i stink horribly..maybe i do?), but of course we are out of water. This only happens about four times a day, and I still havn’t figured out the system. Actually, I think there is no system. Ilonggo lesson "Wala Tubig"=no water. Definitely a must learn phrase around here. I got to Skype with my sweet family yesterday, and that made me very happy! It was so great to see them, and hear their voices. The Internet at the place we go to is never fast enough for both parties to hear and see each other, so we have to sacrifice something. Yesterday, they weren’t able to hear me, so I had to type the entire conversation. It’s okay though, because I could hear them J I really cannot believe that it’s only two weeks until I see them again. That’s just craziness. I have so many emotions going on inside me right now. I miss my family and friends so much, and it will be a GREAT day to see them; however, I am NOT, ready to leave. In fact, the thought of saying goodbye to these kids absolutely makes my stomach hurt. I knew this would happen before I came. I knew I would get close to them, and it would be hard to leave them, but I never imagined it would be this hard. It never occurred to me that I would get this close to all of them. At this point, it feels like it will be impossible for me to leave. Please pray for me! In church, I have sang the hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven,” a thousand times. I have always known it had great words, but it’s just never been one of those songs that gets stuck in my head…until this past month. For some reason, I have this song on repeat in my head. It's just recently occurred to me why. It will be such glorious day whenever we all do get to Heaven. The truth of the matter is, no matter where I am on this earth I am always going to be missing someone. Whenever I am here, I miss my family and all of my friends back home. But…when I am home with all of my family and friends, I miss my Filipino family and friends. It's like part of my puzzle pieces are always missing.  But..someday whenever we all get to Heaven…I will be with everyone! Finally, my puzzle will be complete. My heart is so so so happy to think about that!

Around here, everyone washes clothes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. While being here, Bekah and I are trying our best to live just as they do. To walk in their shoes. I think it's our actions that speak louder than our words, and the fact that we are willing to do as they do rather than paying someone in the village to do our clothes, speaks volumes. It always, always tears up my hands, but to me that’s just part of this little journey. As much as my hands hate to scrub my clothes three times a week, I actually enjoy it. I have had some of the best heart to hearts while washing my clothes on that little concrete slab.  Jestoni always tells Bekah and me, we look pitiful whenever we are washing our clothes. Not only because he thinks that we shouldn’t be washing them ourselves, but also because he said that we are the only Americans he has ever seen who squat down over our tub and wash our clothes like a Filipino. So….as weird as it may sound, I will miss washing my clothes whenever I go home! Just to clarify though, it's the time spent talking with the kids while washing that I will long for, not bloody knuckles.

We are really getting accustomed to the culture over here. Jestoni even told us last night that we had really become like Filipinas, because we could fall asleep anywhere!